


All I Want For Christmas (Is You)

by kooili



Category: Holby City
Genre: Alternate Universe, Berena Secret Santa, Christmas Fluff, F/F, Gardens & Gardening, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:21:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21892816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kooili/pseuds/kooili
Summary: Serena, under instructions from Jason, heads to the local garden centre to buy her first real Christmas tree in decades. While there she becomes enamoured with a certain very helpful employee, but multiple return visits to the garden centre don't yield the Christmas present Serena is after. Someone will have to step in, because the trees aren't the only things in this garden centre that are pine-ing.
Relationships: Serena Campbell/Bernie Wolfe
Comments: 10
Kudos: 97
Collections: Berena Secret Santa 2019





	All I Want For Christmas (Is You)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thumbtwiddler](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thumbtwiddler/gifts).



> Based on the prompt "Bernie has a Christmas surprise" by thumbtwiddler.

_December 24th - one hour ago_

Henrik Hanssen was an undemanding man. Years of experience had taught him to accept that his penchant for precision and order weren’t qualities that were universally shared nor appreciated. Which, at this moment, was the only reason why he was able to maintain an air of calm in spite of the situation he was in. 

“Mr H!” 

Henrik allowed himself the barest of twitches when a hand landed sloppily on his shoulder. 

“Good evening, Mr Fletcher.” He took a half step back once the hand moved away and settled onto the steadier surface of a nearby countertop, regarding the man from top to toe. “You’ve fully embraced the festivities, I see.”

The bells on his hat jingled as Fletch nodded happily. “No better way of celebrating the start of the holidays than with friends, eh?” He raised the half empty pint glass towards Henrik and grinned. “Thanks for the Christmas spirit, boss.”

Henrik’s mouth twitched upwards in a faint smile. “We’ve had a very busy season and it was only appropriate to acknowledge and show appreciation for all the hard work you’ve all put in.”

The grin on Fletch’s face widened. “You’ve certainly done that. Everyone’s definitely having a good time.”

There was a loud burst of laughter from the opposite side of the room and Henrik turned instinctively towards it. Dom and Arthur were bent over in stitches at something that was said. His eyes searched automatically for the person rarely far from the pair of them. 

“Where’s Ms Wolfe?” He asked after a good half a minute of looking without success. 

“I sent her out on a delivery..”

Henrik frowned. ”So late on Christmas Eve?”

Fletch waved a hand dismissively. “You know what Bernie’s like about parties. Anyway, I think she’ll enjoy the surprise waiting when she gets there.”

“Oh?” Henrik’s expression was a mixture of confusion and curiosity. 

“Let’s just say it was favour requested by a certain regular customer,” Fletch explained, lowering his voice and placing a heavy emphasis on the penultimate word. 

It took a moment but an eyebrow finally lifted in understanding. 

“Yes,” Fletch confirmed, a huge smirk plastered on his face. 

“Well,” Henrik murmured, “in that case, she won’t be missing the party after all.”

_December 15th_

It wasn’t exactly what she’d had in mind for her first day off in a week but it wasn’t something she could delay any longer. Well, not without enduring another lecture from a certain nephew about how late it was getting and that the tree should have been up weeks ago. Any argument that Christmas was still nearly two weeks away had been quickly dispelled along with her suggestion that she put up an artificial tree. 

So here she was, at what looked like a very busy garden centre, shopping basket laden with decorations, picking a suitable tree that would both fit in her car and, more importantly, the space available in her sitting room between the mantle and the dining table. Serena blew a deep breath as she scanned the sea of green in front of her before deciding to start with a row of smallish potted trees. She was half-heartedly examining the branches of the nearest tree when a voice made her stop and turn.

“Do you need a hand there?”

Serena smiled and shook her head. “Almost certainly but I haven’t the vaguest idea what I’m looking for at the moment.”

Fletch scanned the canopied tree-filled area around them. “There is a lot to pick from. What do you usually get?”

“None of this,” Serena admitted with a guilty laugh. “I’ve always bought a plastic one when I had time to put one up in the past but this is the first time my nephew is spending Christmas with me and he’s insisted on a live tree. ”

“Excellent!” Fletch rubbed his gloved hands together enthusiastically. “We’ve got a lot of work to do. Why don’t we start over here,” he said, leading Serena towards an adjacent aisle, “you don’t want to bother with those tiny ones in pots.”

An hour later, they were still looking and nowhere closer to finding a suitable tree. Photos of potential candidates were sent to and quickly rejected by Jason for a variety of reasons. 

“And what’s wrong with _this_ one?” Serena sighed in exasperation, flashing Fletch an apologetic smile as she listened to Jason’s answer, frowning when he finally did. “Yes, I know I should have brought the list you made but I was in a hurry. Look, why don’t you text across the name and I’ll ask if they have any of those instead.”

Fletch waited until Serena ended the call before asking. “No joy?”

She shook her head ruefully. “Further instructions are to follow shortly. I should have just brought him along in the first place.” Sighing deeply, she continued. “I’m really sorry to be taking up this much of your time. Jason’s gone off to find a list he’s made of characteristics for the ideal tree.”

“That’s what we’re here for. Although,” Fletch glanced at his wrist to check the time, “I really should have left ten minutes ago. My turn to pick up the kids and Raf will give me hell if I’m late again.” He raised a hand pre-empting the disappointed look on Serena’s face. “But, never fear, I’m going to leave you in capable hands before I go.”

He looked round the area and quickly found the person he was looking for hunched over a display of fresh wreaths. “Be right back,” he reassured Serena before bounding across the plant area. 

Serena watched as they chatted briefly, Fletch’s colleague nodding as she moved to put away the tools she had been using before the pair made their way back to her. 

“Right. This is Bernie,” Fletch announced, waving a hand in his companion’s direction, “and I’ve told her what you’re after and what we’ve already looked at. Don’t worry, Serena,” he added with a wink, “she’s nearly as good as I am.”

The remark earned him a mock glare before Fletch bid them both goodbye and hurried off indoors.

“Nearly as good eh?” Serena looking Bernie up and down, eyes crinkling in a smile. “There’s a chance I might find something by closing time then.”

Bernie snorted good-naturedly. “He likes to think so and I let him just to get the work done.” 

“I suppose we couldn’t really do much worse,” Serena replied. “I’m sure Fletch has explained about Jason.”

“Sounds like he’s quite particular about what he likes,” Bernie commented.

“That’s an understatement if there ever was one.”

Bernie tamped her grin diplomatically. “Patience is a virtue they say.”

“Not one of mine,” Serena quipped. “I’m starting to wonder why I let him talk me into this.”

Bernie smiled. “My entire house was dressed up with flashing lights and lifesize garden ornaments that lit up in bright blue last year. And, oh, an eight foot plastic tree in the living room.”

“You’re a far better woman than I am. Is it more of the same this year?” Serena winced sympathetically. 

“No, not a single flashing LED in sight, and my Nordman fir has been up since last weekend, ” Bernie answered happily.

Serena looked impressed. “How did you manage that? Maybe you should be giving out tips on dealing with men rather than Christmas trees.”

“Possibly not the best person to ask for advice considering the solution I came up with.” 

“Oh?”

Bernie’s cheeks pinked as she answered. “Decided to part company with the ex. It was less excruciating than the idea of another Christmas constantly wondering if the police were parked in the front garden. ”

The sound of Serena’s laughter tinkled like silver bells to Bernie’s ears. She couldn’t help but stare a little longer than she should at the upward curving crimson lips. In a most attractive fashion, in fact, as the smile stretched from one sculpted cheekbone to the other. Her eyes slid upwards and caught a hint of glee looking back, her heart beating a little quicker at the thought.

“That’s a novel solution but not one I can use I’m afraid,” Serena said when the laughter finally subsided. “You see, Jason is…”

Her sentence was interrupted by a musical tone from her phone. Bernie watched, chiding herself silently as Serena checked her messages. 

_Careful, Wolfe. She’s just being polite._

“Right, he’s done a spreadsheet and decided that we should get this one,” Serena said, thrusting her phone at Bernie. It only took a moment the find the highlighted name amongst the columns and rows.

“You’re in luck. We’ve just had a shipment of these arrive last night. They’re not display yet but I may be able to sneak you into the storage area for a look.”

Serena grinned and nodded. There was something about the disheveled warmth radiating from Bernie that made her like the woman. A lot.

_December 16th_

Serena glanced at the time, mindful that she had less than an hour before she was due back at work. This trip, however, shouldn’t take anywhere near as long as she was given only one simple task this time - to bring home a holly wreath for the front door. Jason was less than impressed that she hadn’t bought one on her last outing even after he’d specifically put it at the top of the list. The one that would have made her previous trip to the garden centre much less laborious than it was. Still, Serena thought, as she made her way through the shop, at least the prolonged hunt for the tree meant that she knew exactly where she was heading this time. 

The plants area was relatively quiet when she stepped out onto it. It wasn’t really the sort of weather to be outdoors - the skies had greyed and it was starting to drizzle, making her wish that she hadn’t left her coat in the car. Serena crossed the paving stones making a beeline for where she remembered the large display of wreaths to be. 

Except it wasn’t there.

Serena slowed to a stop, narrowly avoiding a large puddle of water that had gathered under the empty shelves and frowned. They couldn’t have sold out of wreaths, could they? 

“Hi there. It’s Serena, right?” a familiar voice called out.

Serena blinked and turned. “Oh, hello again,” she replied, managing a smile while swiping wet hair away from her eyes. 

“Was the tree all right?” Bernie asked. “He’s not sent you back to get a different one, has he?”

“No, I mean, yes, the tree is fine. The living room smells like an alpine forest right now.”

Brown eyes, partly hidden by a long fringe crinkled in a smile. “Balsams let out a lovely fir scent and should last well after Christmas as long as you keep it watered.”

The light drizzle had now grown into a steady shower of icy droplets and Serena shivered as she pulled her sodden cardigan a little tighter. 

Bernie noticed her movement and frowned. “You must be freezing.”

Before Serena could protest or stop her, Bernie had shrugged out of her fleecy green jacket and draped it around Serena’s shoulders. “Let’s go inside where it’s dry and maybe I can help you find what you’re looking for.”

Serena could only nod her assent, partly too cold to speak but mostly because she was too preoccupied by the sight before her. Bernie walked ahead towards the large glass door leading inside and she lingered just far behind enough to inspect her companion’s truncated attire - the cotton white vest rapidly losing opacity as it gathered moisture. The rain had also transformed the loose cotton material of her cargo pants into a second skin clinging wetly from hip to ankle. 

Perhaps, Serena thought, raking her eyes up and down the newly revealed curves appreciatively, forgetfulness wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

_December 20th_

“So, are you ready to go?”

Serena looked up from the email she was finishing, confused. “Lovely to see you, Fleur but where am I meant to be going?”

“Lunch,” Fleur replied, inviting herself onto the visitor’s seat next to the desk. “We’re going to the Christmas Market at the square, remember?”

Fragments of conversation from the last time they chatted came back to Serena. “Now that you’ve mentioned it, yes. But that wasn’t today, was it?” 

One look at Fleur’s exasperated expression confirmed that it definitely was. Serena raised her hand apologetically. “I’m sorry, Fleur, but I don’t have the time today. We could go later in the week if you’re free…”

“Surely you’re not working through lunch?” Fleur asked.

“No, it’s just that I have...” Serena paused to clear her throat, “... an errand to run and I won’t have time to do both.”

Fleur narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “An errand?”

“Yes, just need to nip over to Holby Garden Centre for something,” Serena answered avoiding Fleur’s gaze. 

Fleur watched with great interest as Serena stood abruptly and reached for her coat, clearly too keen to end this conversation. There was something afoot and she was determined to find out. Out of friendly concern, of course. She stood and brushed the non-existent wrinkles off her dress. “I think I’ll come along with you. There’s always some lovely Christmas decorations on display. We’ll stop to get my things on the way out.”

Serena barely had time to protest before Fleur swept out of the office ahead of her. Groaning inwardly, she grabbed a carrier bag from under the desk, checking to make sure that she had what she needed in it before hurrying after her friend.

The garden centre was busy with the lunch time crowd when they arrived. Serena picked her way around the trolleys along the aisle whilst keeping her eyes peeled for Bernie. 

“So, what are you here to get?’ Fleur asked.

Her question was answered with silence, Serena too preoccupied to have heard her. Fleur tried again, this time a little louder. “Would you like me to help you look?”

“But you don’t know what she looks like.” The words came out before a distracted Serena could stop herself.

Fleur’s ear pricked up immediately and she clasped Serena arm. “She? Oh, you’ve been keeping this one quiet, Campbell. You should have told me to shove off because you’re on a date.”

The colour of the flush on Serena’s face nearly matched a nearby Santa figurine. “It’s not a date,” she muttered. 

“Not yet, you mean.”

“We barely know each other!” Serena groaned, embarrassed. She could tell that Fleur wasn’t going to let this go until she came clean. “Bernie helped me pick a Christmas tree and a wreath. She loaned me her fleece when I got caught in the rain and,“ she explained, lifting up the carrier bag, “I was going to return it and thank her for it.”

Fleur’s face was a picture of glee. “Yes, good thinking, Campbell. Ask her out for a drink or dinner. Get to know her better.”

Serena was about to explain how wrong Fleur was when she caught sight of Bernie across the room. The words died on her tongue as their eyes met and Bernie gave her a small wave of recognition. Fleur followed Serena’s line of sight, eyes brightening appreciatively at what she saw. 

“I can see why this was such an important errand. And the view is much better too,” she murmured into Serena’s ear. 

“I hadn’t noticed but I suppose she looks nice in a gangly sort of way,” Serena countered.

“Oh, surely you mean in a tool-belt slinging, toned, sexy blonde kind of way,” she teased in a wicked tone. 

Serena flashed her a look and hissed. “She’s coming over so, for once, can you please behave, Fanshawe?”

Fleur barely contained a chuckled watching Serena touched her hair instinctively, pushing a stray strand back into place as Bernie approached them.

“Hi again,” Bernie greeted Serena with a smile. “Did you forget something else on the list?”

Serena tried to look insulted but failed miserably. “Perhaps I shouldn’t have bothered bringing this back,” she said, handing her the fleece from out of the bag. 

“I’d almost forgotten about it, thanks. There wasn’t any rush to bring it back, though.” Bernie blurted out the first thing that came to mind, distracted by the fact that Serena looked even more beautiful today than she remembered. 

She wasn’t expecting overflowing gratitude but Bernie’s lack of enthusiasm caught her off guard. “Oh, I thought you might have needed it sooner rather than later.” 

Fleur watched as Serena’s smile wavered and subtly nudged her with a shoulder. “Serena wanted to thank you for rescuing her from getting even wetter than she already was.” 

“Yes,” Serena said, making sure that Bernie was looking straight at her when she did. “That was very heroic of you. Thank you.”

Bernie replied with a nervous shrug. “It was my pleasure,” she said. “Part of the job.”

Fleur looked impatiently between the two women, both equally reluctant to make the first move. Well, she decided, needs must.

“I hear that they serve a really nice lunch at the cafe. Serena and I were just heading that way,” she added threading an arm through Serena’s. “Would you like to join us?”

The suggestion stirred Serena into action. “Yes, the least I could do is buy you lunch.”

Bernie froze, the idea of being in close proximity with Serena without being caught gawping was outwith the realms of possibility with the way her heart was pounding. “Erm… thanks for the offer but I really need to get back to work. Some other time perhaps.”

Fleur and Serena watched as Bernie swivelled round and walked briskly away. A little too briskly perhaps as she nearly stumbled into a large display of ornaments before pulling away at the last minute.

“That went well,” Serena sighed. “She couldn’t get away fast enough.”

“I wouldn’t throw in the towel just yet,” Fleur replied thoughtfully. “Not without trying a different approach. Come,” she said, pulling Serena along, “we’ll discuss tactics over a sandwich and coffee.”

_December 21st_

“Can you pass me the secateurs?” Fletch said over his shoulder, stretching out one hand for the tool while the other grasped tightly onto the branch that needed pruning. A long moment and a handful of empty air later, he craned round and called out again. “Bernie?”

Bernie gave him an apologetic look, clearly not paying attention before. “Sorry, Fletch. Here,” she said, passing him the tool.

It didn’t take him long to finish tidying up the plant and then he was ready to move on to the next area. 

“Just the mistletoe round the back and we’ll go back in for a nice hot cup of coffee,” Fletch said, lifting the box of tools while Bernie folded the step ladder they were using,

“That’s the best plan I’ve heard today,” Bernie replied, her breath forming tiny clouds as they walked briskly through the cold. 

They stopped at a large hawthorn, its branches wrapped tightly with flourishing clumps of mistletoe. It was older than the garden centre and was kept when the area was built around it. It was also why they were one of the only places that had an abundance of fresh cut mistletoe for sale in Holby. 

The ladder set up, Bernie picked the cutters she would need, slipping them out its holder on a belt round her waist and started climbing the ladder. Fletch held out a hand to stop her. “I’ll cut if you want to stay done here and tie off the bundles.”

Bernie shook her head. “I’m fine. Any particular reason for this generosity, Fletch?”

“You seem a bit preoccupied today. Maybe you’d be safer on the ground,” he answered with a cheeky grin.

A wave of heat flooded her cheeks. Fortunately, she could put it down to the cold rather than being caught out thinking about a certain brunette who’d taken residence in her thoughts of late. “I’ll manage just fine but you can hold the ladder while I do the top branches. If it’ll make you happy.”

They worked quickly and a large pile of cuttings soon built up around them. Fletch was in the middle of tying off a bundle of branches when an approaching figure caught his eye. “You must be really decking out the house for Christmas this year,” he said cheerfully when she was finally close enough to hear.

“Only because of the excellent greenery you have on offer. And Bernie’s help, of course.”

The familiar voice made Bernie twist round immediately. The sight of Serena, cozily wrapped up in a coat this time, eyes shining, smiling up at her, caught her off-guard and the greeting she had in her head froze on her tongue. She cleared her throat to try again and she shifted, forgetting for a moment that she was on a ladder and lost her footing. 

Bernie felt the ladder tip and was bracing for a fall when she felt her waist anchored by a pair of hands. 

“Careful,” Serena said, standing so close that Bernie could smell the scent of her perfume. That, combined with the handprints she was certain must now be permanently imprinted - how could they not be from the way heat was radiating up and down her sides - stirred her body into motion. The moment her feet met the ground, Bernie took a large step back. “Thanks” she mumbled.

Serena shook her head. “No, I shouldn’t have startled you in the first place.” She looked up towards the once luxuriant mistletoe and added. “You’ve done a good job trimming your bush.”

Fletch’s eyes widened, face turning red as he tried his hardest to contain his laughter. From the look on her face, that wouldn’t have gone down well.

“Uhmm, yes, “ Bernie answered, ignoring her colleague. “We’re just cutting down the mistletoe to top up the displays. Huge demand this time of year, unsurprisingly.”

Serena kept her eyes firmly on Bernie’s. “It is traditional, isn’t it?” She flicked her eyes upwards to the branch directly above them and took a step closer. “One of the few I make a point to keep. What do you think?”

The heat of Serena’s proximity was overwhelming her senses again and she blurted out the first thing that came to mind and almost instantly regretted it. “I suppose a hemiparasitic sucker plant represents Christmas as well as anything else. _Viscum albums,_ which is the only native British species, thrives very well in the cold.”

Serena had planned this conversation in her head so many times since her lunch with Fleur but she had not anticipated it turning into a discourse on plants. “That’s really fascinating. Speaking of cold,” she said, steering the topic back to something less botanical, “I was wondering if you’d fancy a coffee? I still owe you one from the other day and there’s nothing like caffeine to get the blood pumping in this weather.”

Bernie found herself staring at Serena’s lips as she spoke, her pounding heart seemingly doing a remarkably good job with her circulation despite the cold and lack of caffeine. Under any other circumstances, she’d accept the invitation to make a new friend but there was something about Serena that was making her crush like a schoolgirl. And that was a certain formula for disaster. “Sounds lovely but we have so much to do, don’t we, Fletch?” she said hurriedly, not daring to meet Serena’s eyes. 

Fletch furrowed his brows, confused but decided that the best thing to do was to play along. “I suppose that shipment of reindeer ornaments needs sorting out for display.” 

“Oh, I see,” Serena tried her best to hide the disappointment in her voice. “Some other time then,” she said before turning on her heel and walking away. 

Bernie allowed herself a parting look now that Serena had left, her face an odd mixture of disappointment and relief.

“What was that all about?” Fletch asked the moment he was sure Serena was out of earshot. 

“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.” 

Fletch rolled his eyes. “The way you blew her off even though you fancy the pants off her.” The blush on Bernie’s face confirmed his assessment and he chuckled. “Oh, Wolfe, you got it bad this time.”

Bernie sighed and buried her hands deep into the pocket of her fleece. “Thanks for the insight.”

“What’s the problem?” Fletch asked, confused. “Doesn’t take a genius to see that she has the hots for you as well.”

It was Bernie’s turn to look at him in disbelief. “I really don’t think so. She’s in a relationship.”

“She told you that?” Fletch asked sceptically, bending to gather the bundles of cuttings into a pile.

Bernie shrugged. “She didn’t have to. Jason’s the reason she was in to get a Christmas tree in the first place.” 

Fletch froze, dropped the mistletoe he was holding and broke out laughing so hard he doubled over. Bernie watched arms crossed and unamused until he regained his composure. “I’m glad that my love life disaster is entertaining you.”

“Yes, I mean no,” Fletch explained, raising a hand in his defence. “Let me get this straight, you’re assuming Serena can’t be interested because of Jason?”

Bernie gave him a pained look and nodded. 

“He’s her nephew, genius.” He watched in smug satisfaction as the bewildered look on Bernie’s face transformed into understanding before flushing in embarrassment.

“Oh. She might actually be interested in me?” 

Fletch clapped a hand around her shoulder. “Got it in one this time. Now, the question is what are you going to do about it?”

_December 22nd_

Serena scanned plant area through the large glass windows even though she knew that no one in their right mind would be out in the sleety rain. 

A furtive look around the shop floor was equally fruitless as Bernie was nowhere to be seen. The large display of scented candles provided a secluded spot to continue her search while pretending to be browsing. 

“Can I be of assistance?” 

Serena nearly jumped out of her skin, not realising that someone had gotten that close without her noticing. 

“Oh, erm, no thanks. I’m just browsing,” she answered, looking up at the tall rake-like figure standing next to her. 

Henrik tipped his headless politely and looked at the large pillar candle Serena had her hand on. “These are a lovely scent.”

Serena frowned, still slightly shaken up by being caught off guard. Not that she was doing anything wrong in the first place. It was only stalking, she reasoned, if Bernie was in the vicinity. Which it was clear she was not.

“I’m sure it is,” she replied absently, eyes searching one last time in case Bernie appeared. She finally gave up and turned towards Henrik. “Actually, there is something you could help me with. Is Bernie about today?”

“She’s left for the day,” Henrik answered, head tilting curiously at the look of disappointment on Serena’s face. “Is there something I could help you with, perhaps?”

Serena shook her head. “Nothing important. Thanks for your help.” 

She was about to turn and leave when Henrik cleared his throat. “I highly recommend the candle and I’m sure Bernie would agree with me.”

His comment caught Serena’s attention and she paused. “Oh?”

“Yes, it’s her choice for the staff pick of the week.”

Serena picked up the jar again and read the label. Chocolate and honeycomb was a strange scent for a candle but if it was Bernie’s favourite…

“I’ll take ten,” she declared, “if you don’t mind giving me a hand taking them up to the counter.”

Serena walked ahead, leaving Henrik pleased and confused at the same time. He was piling the jars carefully into his arms when Fletch walked past. 

“Need a hand, boss? You’re not wanting the candles rearranged somewhere else, are you?”

“No,” Henrik replied. “That customer,” he nodded in the direction of Serena, waiting patiently at the till, “has bought ten of them.” 

Fletch’s eyes widened in recognition and he grinned. “She’s back again, is she?”

“Again?” Henrik enquired. “Do you know her?”

“Sort of. I will bet my Christmas bonus that she was looking for a certain blonde colleague as well.”

Henrik raised an eyebrow, surprised. “It’s a good thing I’m not a betting man.”

Fletch let out a loud chuckle as he collected half the jars from Henrik’s arms. “There’s a story behind this. I’ll tell you over a cuppa later.”

_December 24th- 11am._

Fleur exited the lift, her eyes immediately scouring the ward for her target. It was a slow day patient-wise and she needed a break from the pointless admin work that seemed never-ending. AAU, she noted as she crossed the ward, appeared to be as just as quiet as well. Fleur smiled and headed for the office - that meant Serena would be available to distract her.

The door to the office was open and she spied her friend, eyes lowered, seemingly busy writing as she entered the room.

“I come bearing gifts,” she announced, holding up the coffee cups in her hand.

Serena jumped in her seat as she looked up, hurriedly covering the sheet she was writing on with the nearest folder. 

“Busy?” Fleur asked, placing the drinks on the table, her eyes not leaving Serena’s hands. 

“No, not really,” Serena answered, reaching for the coffee. “`Catching up with, uhmm, paperwork.”

She had a good stone face when she put her mind to it but Serena wasn’t even trying this time. 

“In that case, I wonder what this work is that’s got you so engrossed.” Fleur leaned forward and plucked the piece of paper out from under the folder before Serena could stop her. “Let’s see…” she said, reading off the sheet. “Christmas flowers, another wreath for the back door, lights for the front garden, possible…” she squinted as she tried to make out the next work, “... ram, no, rain…”

“Reindeer ornament,” Serena said matter-of-factly. “I thought they’d go nicely next to the holly.”

Fleur raised an eyebrow sceptically. “You seem to have taken to Christmas in a big way.”

“Well, I thought I’d do it properly, seeing that the living room already looks like a Nordic forest at the moment.”

“I suppose you’ll need to make another trip back to the garden centre for the supplies,” Fleur concluded, a glint forming in her eyes. 

Serena tried to appear nonchalant. “I think they’re open till lunch time today.”

Her remark was greeted by a cackle of laughter. “And this has nothing to do with a certain leggy blonde who just happens to be working there, eh? Oh, Serena, I can see you’ve got it bad!”

There wasn’t the expected attempted denial as Serena slumped back in her chair dejected. “I’m nearly convinced that I’m barking up the wrong tree. Or completely not her type.”

“Nonsense. My gaydar was going off like klaxons the moment I saw her. A woman in uniform and a tool belt? Yes, please,” Fleur replied with a dreamy sigh.

Serena’s mind drifted off for a moment as they were clearly visualising the same image. A long silence passed and it was only with great effort and some reluctance that she managed to reign her imagination in before it flew away to somewhere completely inappropriate for work. She cleared her throat. “That might be the case but it’s moot since she’s always busy when I’m about.”

Fleur pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Perhaps you need to try a different approach.” Serena looked at her, intrigued, inviting her to continue. “What you need is home advantage. You’ve been trying to get a date and her work seems to get in the way. So, why not invite her to your house instead?”

Serena looked at Fleur like she was mad. “RIght, so your suggestion is to go up to her, practically a stranger who’s been turning me down for coffee, and invite her home. I’m fairly certain that’ll make her run for the hills!!”

Fleur sighed impatiently. “I’m suggesting nothing of the sort. For example, did you know that the garden centre offers home delivery? And it also says on their website that their horticultural experts are available for on site consultation on request as well.”

It sounded barely plausible, something from out of a rom-com misadventure and Serena looked unconvinced. “That sounds a bit desperate, don’t you think?”

“I won’t say that you are because I’m a good friend but what’s the harm in trying? Better than sitting here moping like someone’s stolen your mistletoe.”

Moments later, Fleur left the office wearing a smug grin, feeling much perkier. Behind her, Serena checked her list once again before reaching for her phone.

_December 24th - present_

Serena drew a nervous breath, straightening her dress for the umpteenth time. It wasn’t like her to be this flustered over her appearance but it had been a while since she had dressed to impress. A quick sweep of her eyes around the living room confirmed that the room was pristine - a postcard perfect Christmas scene - just as it was the last time she checked two minutes ago. The fire, stoked, was crackling brightly, its heat infusing the room with a luxurious warmth. She had opened a bottle of Shiraz to breathe and laid out two glasses on the coffee table by the sofa, perhaps more in hope than expectation.

A sip of wine might calm her nerves, Serena decided and crossed the room. She had the bottle in her hand, ready to pour when the sound of a car turning into the cul-de-sac made her pause. Peeking through the drapes, she watched as it slowed down and pulled to a stop in front of her house. Serena replaced the wine and waited for the driver to emerge with a mixture of excitement and apprehension.

The seconds dragged on like minutes and Serena was about to call it a false alarm when the inside of the car finally lit up as a door opened. Her heart quickened its pace when she recognised the figure alighting from the car.

“Right,” she muttered to herself, checking the mirror above the fireplace to confirm that her hair was neatly coiffed before heading for the front door, “here goes nothing.”

* * *

Bernie checked the address on her phone, making sure that she had the right house. This late on Christmas Eve was an unusual time to order a delivery from the garden centre and she didn’t want to end up knocking on the wrong door. Craning round to look at the back seat, she was pleased to see that the pot of mistletoe had survived intact in the large woven bag she had placed it in. The other item in the delivery was a large wicker hamper, fully laden judging from the weight of it. The card attached simply said “In case you need help making the Yuletide gay x”, which made Bernie smile. At least it was more creative than the usual Merry Christmas and Season’s Greetings.

The curtains were drawn across the bay windows of the living room but Bernie could tell that the lights were on. Good, she thought, bracing herself for the cold as she pushed the door open. At least there would be someone in to receive the delivery. There was something about the way Dom and Arthur were sniggering in the background when Fletch practically pushed her out the door with the mistletoe did make her think that this might have been a prank. 

It took a bit of precarious balancing and Bernie was soon making her way carefully up the path to the front door. She just about managed to ring the doorbell without having to put anything down and waited patiently for the door to be answered. It swung open within seconds.

“Hi, I have a delivery for…” Bernie said, her words fading away when she finally peeked past the mistletoe and saw who was at the door. “Oh, it’s you,” she stuttered, both elated and nervous all at once. 

Serena’s smile was wide and reached all the way to her eyes. “Bernie! So nice to see you again. Come in,” She pulled the door open and plucked the bag of mistletoe off the top of the hamper. “Here, let me help you with this.”

Bernie nodded gratefully and stepped into the hallway, following Serena as she led them through into the living room. Her eyes took in the tree they’d picked, now fully decked out in baubles and lights. Various ornaments decorated the mantlepiece, complemented by myriad candles dotted around the room. The room smelled of pine and spices and was a picture of Christmas perfection. Placing the hamper down by the sofa, Bernie stole look at Serena who was bent over, arranging the mistletoe in a spot next to the fireplace. 

Her eyes were instantly glued irresistibly to the lines of the silky dress as it clung and flowed with each movement of Serena’s hips. She chose that particular moment to turn around and Bernie was treated to an almost bird’s eye view of the dipping neckline just hinting at lace underneath. Now that, she swallowed hard, was truly a Christmas masterpiece to behold. 

“Thank you for coming round today,” Serena said, standing up. 

Bernie pulled her eyes away, pasting a smile on her face and nodding, buying time until her tongue worked again. 

“I completely forgot that I didn’t get the mistletoe the other day until this morning and the lovely man I spoke to said you’d kindly come by.”

“Well, yes,” Bernie replied, “Fletch said you needed this urgently and there was the hamper to be delivered as well anyway.” 

Serena picked up the card and recognised the handwriting as Fleur’s. She opened the basket and found it filled with a few bottles of wine, crackers an assortment of cheese, all nestled within bunches of mistletoe. 

Bernie peered over with a confused look. “That’s odd. Someone must have put that in by mistake. I’ll have a word with Henrik when I get back.”

“No need for that,” Serena laughed lightly, picking up a loose piece of mistletoe from the top of the pile. “I suspect this was requested for deliberately by someone who knows me far too well.”

Bernie felt her heart drop, although she wasn’t sure why she was disappointed about something that was never there in the first place. She caught sight of the open wine bottle along with the pair of glasses next to it. “You must be expecting company,” she said, nodding at the coffee table. “I should leave you to it.”

Serena shook her head to stop Bernie, taking a step closer. She drew a steadying breath, knowing that she was taking a plunge, albeit a calculated one. “What would you say if I told you that the company I wanted is right here in front of me?”

Their eyes met and Bernie found herself mesmerized by the intent in Serena’s eyes. It had been a long time but she still recognised the look of frank desire especially when it was staring her straight in the face. 

“I’d say lucky me,” Bernie murmured, her own eyes darkening.

Her heart pounded hard in her chest knowing that Serena was seeing the same hunger reflected in her own eyes and still took another step closer, twirling the mistletoe between her fingers. “Do you know why I asked you to bring this tonight?”

Serena’s voice dripped like warm honey sending a tingle down Bernie’s spine. “Enlighten me,” she croaked, hardly daring to believe this could really be happening. 

She forgot to breathe for a moment when Serena closed the gap between them further, standing so close that all of Bernie’s senses were sent swirling with the smell of her perfume and palpable heat of their proximity. She could only watch wordlessly when Serena reached up and tucked the twig of mistletoe into the brim of Bernie’s hat before pulling back with questioning eyes. 

Bernie finally found her voice, emboldened, now certain that this was very real. Her hand reached for Serena’s waist, sliding it along the silky fabric before pulling the other woman firmly towards her. “Well, I hear it’s bad luck to break the tradition.” 

Serena gasped in surprise but was already tilting her head upwards in anticipation. “So let’s not, eh?” she murmured.

Bernie smiled and happily obliged, bringing their lips together in a searing kiss. The feel, the taste was so much better than anything she’d imagined. They finally pulled apart long moments later, Bernie taking a deep breath of much needed air. Serena, hand still curled around Bernie’s waist was keen to continue her new favourite activity, started pulling her back in when the look on Bernie’s face made her stop.

“What is it?” she asked, a pinprick of worry forming inside her. “I’m not going too fast, am I?”

Bernie shushed her with a gentle brush of her lips against Serena’s. “No, not at all. I was just wondering why the room smells of,” she took another sniff before continuing, “crunchie bars and wax?”

Relief bubbled over and washed away her apprehension. “I thought you would like it. The tall man in an elf hat told me it was your staff pick of the month.”

Bernie stared at Serena for a moment before looking across to the mantel and the jars of lit candles adorning it. They looked strangely familiar - very much like the jars upon jars of scented candles the garden centre had been having trouble shifting since Henrik placed a double order by mistake months ago. She chuckled softly and made a note to compliment her boss on his ingenuity. “You bought all of that because it’s my favourite scent?”

A flush rose in Serena’s cheeks and Bernie instantly decided that it was the most beautiful and adorable sight she’d ever seen. “You’re a hard woman to woo.”

“Well, let’s not waste any more time then,” Bernie breathed, closing the gap between their lips once again, sucking in a breath when Serena responded by slipping a hand under her fleece. The kiss deepened and Serena was soon edging them backwards towards the sofa. This, Bernie thought blissfully as a lapful of Serena pushed her into the cushions with a whomph, was definitely now her favourite way to celebrate Christmas. 


End file.
